How do you help your pup go green and save money? One paw at a time.

Nearly every day we get emails and questions about how to help your pup go green. And we love helping pups and pup lovers learn new and different ways they can have a healthier, happier dog and environment.

One thing we noticed in many of our emails is that folks think that going 'green' is difficult and expensive. In this challenging time, there is no better time to go green. Why? Because you can actually save money by living a more eco-friendly lifestyle. And it's easier than you think!

Being 'green' all my life, I really don't know any different. But what I can tell you is that living a green life is a lifestyle, it's not doing just one thing here and one thing there, it's a whole new way of living. You don't have to completely change your life overnight - that would be pretty difficult. But what you can do is take little steps, make small changes, one paw at a time, to help live a more healthy and eco-friendly lifestyle.

And what about expensive? We don't think being green is expensive, as a matter of fact, we think we save money by being more green. How? Here are just a few ways:

• We utilize and re-use many of the items in our house for other purposes, like making dog toys out of old socks and towels, shipping boxes are turned into play toys, old blankets are sewn into mats and beds.
• We have much less health care expense because we live a healthier lifestyle.
• We compost to help fertilize our garden, doing away with expensive (and dangerous) chemicals for our lawns and gardens. And when we do purchase organic lawn care products, we use much less than the chemical kind, and save lots of dough. Also a naturally cared for lawn is not only safer for your pups, but requires much less water, saving on our water bill.
• We don't purchase unnecessary paper towels or paper products for our home, we use stainless steel and safe ceramics for our foods, and old wash clothes for clean up rags. And those leftover TP rolls? We use them as toys!
• We practice turning off lights when not in use and unplugging unused appliances which actually save on our electric bill.
• We don't purchase expensively pre-prepared meals, we cook our own. It's fun and us pups get some of Mum's meals, like eggs, vegetables, meats and more, saving on our kibble bill.
• We use bulbs that are safer for the environment and much longer lasting. They may be more expensive on the front end, but sure do save in the long run.
• We always plan ahead and save on car gasoline by consolidating all of our trips to work, meetings and such, with our errands to the store or the bank.
• We grow some of our own organic vegetables, which saves us from buying from the store, are healthier, and they taste lots better too!
• We make our own household cleaners that are not only much less expensive than buying those high priced cleaners at the store, but they are much safer for you and the environment, too.
• We take our reusable totes to the stores when we go. Many stores actually pay us a nice shiny nickel for each bag of our own that we use. Now that's a savings!
• We very rarely buy a book. Instead we search out answers to our questions on the Internet, and if there is a book we just can't wait to read, we borrow books from our neighborhood library.
• We purchase high quality hemp dog collars. Not only are they great looking, but they are safe and last a super long time.
• Mum makes us our own dog treats, with ingredients we already have in our fridge, like homemade frosty paws, my fav!

There are a multitude of ways you can go green, and save money. Readers? Feel free to add in your tips too. We would love them!

And remember, you don't have to completely turn your life upside down to turn green. Take it one paw at a time, make a little change everyday, and before you know it, you'll be living a much greener lifestyle!